Chapter 3.
Callie drifted in and out of consciousness. Her head ached. Really, she hurt all over. She tasted dried blood on her lips. But she was glad to realize she was alive. My family, she thought. Why did I leave them? It was the worst mistake she ever made. How had it gone so horribly wrong? If only she could take it back.
She listened to the silent house for any sign of Liam. There was none. She tried to move a little, but she was in such pain that it was difficult. She recalled Liam's slimy voice telling her she'd brought this on herself the minute she opened her mouth. Lyrics from a Taylor Swift song came into her head; "I knew you were trouble when you walked in, and now I'm lying on the cold hard ground." How true those words had become for her.
I've got to live, she thought. She spotted her stuff in a pile a few feet away. If only she could get to her phone! She still had a chance. Slowly, she practiced moving a few inches, then waiting, listening for any sound that might mean Liam was coming back. After several minutes of moving, then waiting, she finally made it to her belongings, and dug through them, until she found her phone. She pulled up Brandon's number, and managed to type "Help me- Wyatt's." Just as she pressed send, her head began to spin, and she fell back into sleep.
Meanwhile, at the Foster house, Stef was filing a report with Mike. Several of their colleagues were already out, searching for Callie. Lena had been calling everyone they knew, on the small hope that she had just run away to a friend's house. Brandon was sitting at the piano, staring into space and feeling quite numb inside, when his phone buzzed, signaling an incoming text. He grabbed his phone from his pocket, and looked at the number. His heart skipped a beat when he saw the familiar digits.
"It's from Callie!" He yelled. "Mom! Everyone!"
Stef and Mike ran into the living room, with the rest of the family close behind. "What does it say?" Stef asked.
"It just says 'Help me- Wyatt's," Brandon told them.
"Try texting her back," said Lena, and Brandon typed the words "Where R U?" They waited, but there was no responding message.
"I thought she wasn't with Wyatt," said Brandon.
"Well," said Stef, "he swore up and down she wasn't. And I believed him. But at least we know she is alive."
Suddenly, Mariana spoke up. "Oh my gosh! I know where Callie is!" She said. "The text said Wyatt's, not Wyatt. She's at Wyatt's old house, where that party was. Liam was there that night, so he'd know it was empty."
Stef hugged Mariana. "You genius girl," she said with affection. She turned to Mike. "Let's go."
Stef and Mike arrived at the house, with back-up. Mike kicked the front door in. "Police!" he yelled. "Anyone here?" There was no answer. They began to search the house, and found no sign of Callie on the first floor. Quietly, and cautiously, they made their way upstairs. At first they found nothing, then Stef burst into a room near the end of the hall.
"Oh, my word." She gasped. She ran to her daughter.
Later:
Callie woke up confused and groggy. She blinked her eyes. She must be seeing things, because it looked like Stef and Lena were there, standing over her. She tried to reach out her hand to them, and was stunned to actually feel them touch her back. They were really there!
"Callie?" Lena asked.
"Where am I?" Callie groaned.
"You're in the hospital, baby," Stef told her gently.
The hospital? How did she get there? She couldn't remember. Mustering all the energy she could, she willed her head to clear so she could think straight. "Liam-" She said. "He-."
"We know what he did to you, honey," Stef told her. "But he'll never hurt you again. He's dead."
"Dead?" Callie asked, puzzled and a bit frightened.
"Yes," Stef answered. "After he hurt you, he took his own life. The bastard is burning in Hell. But you're alive, and we're so glad."
Callie was speechless. She felt as if a weight she'd been carrying for a long time was lifted from her. She began to sob. They were tears of sorrow and joy.
"I'm so sorry for what I did. I just wanted to protect Jude."
"We know," Lena told her, caressing her forehead. "He told us what happened. We have a lot to talk about when you're well, but you need to know that you don't have to worry so much about protecting Jude anymore. You have the both of us to do that for you."
"I love you guys. I love all of you," Callie told them.
"We know, and we love you too, baby," Stef replied. "And the whole family is here to see you. We're all so relieved and happy that you're going to be okay."
I'm going to be okay, thought Callie, as Stef and Lena bent down to kiss her.
"You rest now, sweetheart," Lena said, fluffing her pillows.
Callie closed her eyes, and began to doze off, when the words she was thinking as she was leaving home came to her. If you Love something, set it free. But that wasn't the whole saying. The end of it said; If it comes back to you, it's your forever. She was theirs forever.
The End.
Thank you for reading my story! I enjoyed writing it, and I hope you enjoyed it too. There will be more stories and poems about The Fosters coming soon.